Why Should Delaware Care?
A recently discovered broken pipe that was leaking sewage into the Indian River watershed will require repairs to the town of Millsboro’s wastewater treatment system. The incident has also raised questions about how well aging local infrastructure can keep pace with Sussex County’s growing population demands.
A broken pipe has caused tens of thousands of gallons of sewage to seep into the ground and marshy area along the Indian River in Millsboro, prompting an environmental investigation and raising questions about the town’s aging infrastructure.
While a temporary fix has been put in place, Millsboro Town Manager Jamie Burk said on Friday that a timeline and estimated cost for a full repair are still being calculated.
First discovered during a routine camera analysis of the town’s sewer system on Jan. 15, Millsboro officials told the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) the leak had begun three days prior. Officials estimated the leak released 25,000 gallons of sewage per day.
The incident is under investigation, DNREC said. Additional questions were directed to the town.
A statement on the town’s website said that within 30 minutes of finding the leak, the town employed pumping trucks to bypass the broken pipeline until a pump could be installed — allowing the town to continue accepting the inflow of waste.
“Bypass pumping will be utilized until the repairs/replacement of the gravity pipe can be completed,” according to the statement.
In a press release, state regulators announced the spill also has prompted the closure of the connected Indian River Bay to shellfish harvesting.
The emergency measure is required by national shellfish program requirements, and calls for the bay to remain off-limits to harvesting bivalve shellfish, such as clams or mussels, for 21 days following a sewage release.
While Delaware does have an active shellfish aquaculture program in its inland bays, Mark Casey of Delaware Cultured Seafood said he is the only one with actively leased acreage in Indian River Bay. At this time, he has no oysters growing on his farm.
Casey called DNREC’s closure of the bay “overprotective of public health.” Which he said may be a good thing, but also is a “bit of an overreaction.”
“It’s a non-effect to the industry,” he said of the sewage spill, noting that he has been trying to get other aquaculturists to lease areas to grow more oysters in Indian River Bay. “This will just add to the concerns.”
He compared the leak — an estimated 75,000 gallons, according Millsboro’s initial reports — to what leaches into the watershed from area septic tanks.
But Christophe Tulou, executive director of the nonprofit Delaware Center for the Inland Bays, applauded DNREC’s decision to close the bay to shellfish harvesting following the release.
“Closures like this are difficult, but they are a necessary precaution whenever there is a potential risk to shellfish harvesting,” he said in an email. “We also want to recognize that situations like this are complex and can take time to fully resolve.”
According to DNREC’s release notification system, the sewage leaked from a manhole in the area of East State Street and was “caused by a mechanical failure.” No official notice of violation has been issued.
Millsboro’s sewage treatment plant, which was upgraded in 2009, is designed to handle up to 1.15 million gallons of wastewater per day, which is treated and disinfected before being sprayed on hundreds of acres of nearby farmfields as well as rapid infiltration basins.
The town is currently looking to build a new wastewater treatment plant on Hardscrabble Road, as the area’s population growth is expected to reach some 32,000 residents by 2050 — which would quadruple the town’s current population compared to recent Census estimates.
Tulou, in his statement, also said that critical infrastructure keeping pace with the rate of growth and development in Sussex County will continue to be a key part of maintaining the health of the Inland Bays watershed.
“Wastewater systems are not optional — they are a critical part of the foundation of a healthy coastal community,” Tulou said. “If capacity, maintenance, and redundancy do not keep up with the demands of a growing population, the risk of failures increases, and the Bay pays the price.”
Aside from the environmental impacts, Tulou and Casey noted the incident can also impact the reputation of the still-growing local aquaculture industry, and even for Delaware seafood growers more broadly.
“Closures like this also have real consequences beyond the environmental impact,” Tulou said. “Protecting water quality is essential not only for the ecosystem, but for the livelihoods tied to it and for maintaining trust in the safety and quality of local seafood.”
Transparency Notice
Maddy Lauria previously worked for the Delaware Center for the Inland Bays from 2020 to 2021. She currently is an independent journalist based in Dover.